This invention relates to connector assemblies for electrically and mechanically interconnecting a plurality of wires in a first cable to respective wires in a second cable.
There are many instances where it is required to interconnect wires from one cable to corresponding wires from another cable. For example, in an office building it is known in advance that a plurality of telephone lines from within the building must be individually connected to wires in cables from a telephone central office. However, until the building is occupied, and even after (in response to changes in usage), it is not known which particular telephone lines are to be connected to which cable lines. Thus, cable interconnection assemblies are provided at which different cables are terminated and which provide means for selectively, and on a non-permanent basis, interconnecting the various wires of the various cables.
FIG. 1 herein, for example, shows a presently used interconnecting arrangement. An "internal" cable 10 from, say, within an office building, terminates in a known type of connector 12 providing exposed terminals (not visible) electrically connected to respective wires within the cable. The connector 12 is connected, in turn, to a connector 18 of a prefabricated wiring harness 14 including a plurality of insulated wires 16 extending loosely from an end of a cable 17 of the wires. The exposed wires 16 are generally flexible and of suitable length for being first hand trimmed and then individually threaded into wire slots 20 within a known "index strip" 22. The index strip can be mounted, for example, on a flat panel mounted on a wall of the building. Connectors 24 of a known type are then snapped onto the index strip 22 for firmly securing the wires 16 within the slots 20 and for making electrical contacts to the wires. Each wire 16 is thus individually accessible at a front end of the connector 24 and groups of "external" wires 26 connected within known "patching" connectors 25 are then connected to the building "internal" wires by snapping the connectors 25 in place on the connectors 24.
Advantages of the arrangement shown are that the components thereof are easy to handle and mount in place and changes in wiring connections can readily be made.
Disadvantages, however, are that the hand trimming and individual threading of the wire ends into the respective slots is a relatively slow process. Also, the wire harness 14 is relatively unsightly when exposed to view on the building wall and provides relatively poor protection of the wire contacts against dirt.
These disadvantages are addressed in accordance with this invention.